Sudanese forces kill 30 and injure scores more in attack on peaceful protesters
Jeremy Hunt condemns military rulers for ‘outrageous’ assault on pro-democracy camp
BRITAIN accused Sudan’s military rulers of an “outrageous” attack on the country’s pro-democracy protest movement after security forces opened fire on peaceful protesters in Khartoum.
At least 30 people were killed and more than 200 wounded when uniformed men using live ammunition, tear gas and batons attacked and cleared a protest camp in Khartoum early yesterday.
The Sudan Doctors’ Committee, a group aligned with the protest movement, said the toll was likely to climb because some wounded people and medics were stuck in areas occupied by security forces.
“The protesters holding a sit-in in front of the army general command are facing a massacre in a treacherous attempt to disperse the protest,” said the Sudanese Professionals Association, which has spearheaded the protests.
It said it was breaking off talks with the military council and called for a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience.
The ruling Transitional Military Council said troops had merely been rooting out troublemakers from a nearby squatting area. Opposition activists said that was an “astounding lie”.
Witnesses described seeing “hundreds” of security forces vehicles massing near the demonstration before the attack began just after dawn prayers.
“As I was walking back to the demonstration around five in the morning, I heard explosions of tear gas canisters and the sound of firearms being discharged,” said Jalal Hashim.
“While I was approaching the area I came across people coming away. Some of them were holding injured people, others were clearly dead. They were begging passers-by to take them to hospital.
“Then we came face to face with men in police uniform. The way they were shooting, they clearly meant to kill. It was not shots in the air,” he said.
By evening the camp was controlled almost entirely by security forces and there were reports that troops had surrounded hospitals treating the wounded. Witnesses said protesters took to the streets and constructed barricades in other parts of the city and that mobile 3G services had been cut off.
The violence follows deadlocked talks between a pro-democracy revolutionary movement and the Transitional Military Council, a group of generals that seized power after deposing dictator Omar al-bashir in April. The protesters, including opposition parties, activist groups and self-organising young people, are demanding a rapid transition to civilian rule.
The generals have said they in principle agree with that goal, but have insisted on maintaining ultimate control of the provisional government that the sides have agreed will rule the country until fresh elections.
The small tent city outside the ministry of defence in Khartoum was instrumental in bringing down Mr Bashir and was widely seen as the revolutionaries’ main leverage in the negotiations. The decision to clear it yesterday appeared designed to prevent the movement regaining momentum after the fasting month of Ramadan, which is due to end today and tomorrow.
Pro-democracy activists fear crushing the movement would clear the way for Gen Abdel Fattah al-burhan, head of the military council, to establish a new military dictatorship.
Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, called the attack “outrageous” and said Sudan’s military rulers would be held responsible.
‘The way they were shooting, they clearly meant to kill. It was not shots in the air’